Rebecca
Wolfe City is the cutest town I’ve ever been to.
It’s also the most dangerous.
Oh, there’s not a lot of crime in this place. People aren’t getting mugged or robbed or murdered.
No, that’s not why I think Wolfe City is dangerous.
The reason I think Wolfe City is a dangerous place to be is a much more dramatic, much more personal, much more intimate reason.
The reason Wolfe City is a dangerous place to be is that people have a habit of getting married here and I’m not in the market for marriage. If there’s one thing I really, really don’t want right now, it’s a husband. If there’s one thing I don’t need, it’s a man. If there’s one thing that’s just not going to be any good for me at this particular moment in my life, it’s a relationship.
I do not need one.
I don’t need a relationship.
Keeping that in mind, I can’t explain why I decided to move to Wolfe City. Not really. I’m a pretty level-headed woman. I’m reasonable. I’m sharp. I don’t make decisions on a whim, but when my best friend and roommate up and got herself a husband, I moved to Wolfe City alongside her.
Now I’m working at the bookstore in town and living in the little studio apartment upstairs. I live there for free, excluding rent and utilities, and my boss is incredible.
He’s a little bit too incredible.
Today, Brandon is going to stop by to talk with me about our current inventory and what we need to focus on getting more of around here. The Dusty Shelf is a cute, cozy secondhand bookstore. Despite the fact that Wolfe City is a pretty small town, we tend to burn through books incredibly fast. People here love to read and they love to read a lot. It’s hard keeping everything stocked.
I’m going to suggest to Brandon that we consider expanding our store’s content. I think that if we offer a wider variety of books, including novels in foreign languages and maybe even some bestsellers and new releases, we’ll be able to make more. The extra money can be used to continue to purchase further inventory or we could expand the shop.
I’ve only been here for a few months, so it’s not really my place to ask Brandon if he’ll let me start selling coffee and cookies in the bookstore, but I might. I should really bite my tongue, but the idea is just so inviting and wonderful.
I love the idea of The Dusty Shelf being a place where shifters and humans alike can come relax on a cold winter afternoon.
I love thinking that maybe, just maybe, this could be a place where people can come enjoy a little bit of comfort and companionship.
And I love thinking that when someone is going through a hard time, when they’re struggling, when they’re alone, that they might find a place where they can find some peace.
I want The Dusty Shelf to be that place.
I finish brushing my teeth and styling my hair. Then I throw on a little bit of lipgloss and some mascara. I’m not the prettiest girl or the most stylish girl, but I look alright. I’m starting to feel stressed and tired: a sign I need to shift soon. It’s been about a week since I was in my tigress form, and that’s a long-ass time for a shifter to be stuck looking like a human.
Maybe once Brandon and I finish our meeting, I’ll go for a run. Wolfe City has a ton of forest paths and hidden areas for shifters to roam. I’ve explored them a little bit, but I could use a little more time to myself. All I’ve done lately is pour my heart and soul into the bookstore. There’s nothing wrong with having a little time to myself.
After one last glance in the mirror, I head down the narrow staircase and open the door to the bookstore. My apartment is only accessible through the bookstore itself, which took quite a bit of getting used to, but I don’t mind it anymore. I like opening the door and finding myself in the world of books. It makes me feel like a fairy princess discovering an incredible treasure.
Only I get to discover this every day.
When I open the door, Brandon is already in the bookstore. Being the owner, he has his own set of keys. I quietly close and lock the door to my apartment, then head to the front of the store to join him.
“Fancy meeting you here,” Brandon turns when he sees me and hands me a cup of coffee.
“You went to Arlington’s?” I’m surprised. The coffee shop is a twenty-minute drive from Wolfe City. It’s located in another town, but to be honest, the drive is totally worth it sometimes for a white chocolate mocha.
“I was visiting one of the wolves who’s in the hospital,” he says. “Thought I’d bring you a drink on the way back.”
I take a sip of my coffee and try not to groan with happiness. It’s still steaming hot and it’s perfectly brewed.
“Thanks Brandon,” I whisper. “It’s amazing. Seriously, this is amazing.”
“Another late night?” He asks, raising an eyebrow. He motions for us to sit and I collapse in one of the comfortable chairs at the front of the bookstore. The armchairs were my idea. I figured that they contributed to a comfortable atmosphere where people would want to curl up and read. If people want to read more, they’re going to buy more books, so it’s a win-win situation for everyone.
“Yeah, I was up coming up with some new ideas for the shop,” I admit, curling my hair nervously around my finger. It’s a bad habit: one I should stop.
“Is that right?” Brandon asks. He sits with his legs crossed, his back straight. Although he’s well over six feet tall, he sits properly, carefully. It’s all part of being the Wolfe City Pack’s Alpha. He carries himself very carefully. Each movement is perfectly calculated, and sometimes, I feel bad for Brandon.
It can’t be easy to have everyone watching you all the time.
“Hey,” I place a hand on his knee. “Relax. It’s just us,” I shrug. “No need to be proper here.”
“No?” He raises an eyebrow.
“Not at all.”
“Rebecca, you should never give a wolf an invitation to behave improperly. He might get the wrong idea.”
My heart starts to race as I realize what he’s saying. I shouldn’t be attracted to Brandon. I shouldn’t. I can’t. We’ve spent so much time together, talked so easily to one another, that I didn’t even realize the attraction was sneaking up on me until it was too late.
And now I really am totally, hopelessly, completely in love with him.
But I can never tell him.
Marriage is a complication I do not need.
“You can sit however you like,” I whisper, and I move my hand back to myself.